


Safer After the Rain

by Litsetaure



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Albus is worn out, Bathilda ships it, Canon Gay Relationship, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Gellert shows his gentle side, M/M, Summer of 1899, Wow this one got long, Young Albus Dumbledore, Young Gellert Grindelwald, the boys need a hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-28
Updated: 2019-03-28
Packaged: 2019-12-25 23:56:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,076
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18271676
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Litsetaure/pseuds/Litsetaure
Summary: Everyone has a breaking point. It might just take a little time to find it.





	Safer After the Rain

**Author's Note:**

> So, this time, I wanted to bring out Gellert’s gentle and tender side, the side that I think only Albus (and to a lesser extent Bathilda) really ever got to see. I’m not certain things turned out as I planned them to, but I’d be more surprised if they had, to be honest!

The setting sun dropped behind the nearby houses, leaving a deep golden glow in its wake. A few people were walking, some of them hand in hand with their loved ones, enjoying the intimacy of the warm summer evening. One young man took his partner by the hand and spun her around in a circle in the middle of the path before sweeping her into his arms for a slow, sweet kiss. The woman smiled as the onlookers broke into a generous round of applause.

Gellert slammed the curtain closed and turned away from the window in disgust. It wasn’t exactly that he begrudged the young couple their happiness - though he did think the applause was overdoing it a little. Rather, he resented the fact that they were able to be together and show their love so openly, while others, like him, were forced to hide their feelings and live lies in public, all because of the laws that some antiquated and prejudiced politicians put out while holed up in their Ministry.

He sat down and ran his hands over his face, his heart burning at the injustice of it all. This was exactly why, or partly why, he knew that what he and Albus were doing was right. It may not always be pleasant - Gellert was not too proud to admit, if only to himself, that sometimes his own ideas left a slightly sour taste in his mouth - but if every witch and wizard had the right and the freedom to live and love openly, then surely it would be worth it in the end.

Admittedly, if Gellert had been asked a few years ago what his priorities were, he would not have rated freedom to love so highly. He would by no means have ignored it entirely, but it would have been a plan for the future, once their world was less hidden and more stable. But then, he had been - not entirely fairly in his opinion - expelled from Durmstrang and brought to Godric’s Hollow to stay with his aging aunt. And that was when everything had changed.

Not for the first time, Gellert’s thoughts turned to the brilliant auburn-haired boy who had come to be so important, not only to the cause, but also, much to his surprise, to Gellert himself. He had realised quickly that Albus was much more than a handsome face and a brilliant mind; he had a unique and charmingly satirical wit and an energy that shone as brightly as the wings of the phoenix that formed his Patronus. But more than that, he made Gellert feel something he had never felt before. He had taken other lovers, it was true, and had even had people he might have considered calling friends. But none of them had felt as though they had belonged with him, nor he with them. He had not felt able to allow any of them to see his vulnerable side, to show them the boy who could see what the world had become, what it would become, and who sometimes felt almost ill with fear over it.

But Albus had looked. And he had seen. Even though he admitted to harbouring little interest in the study of Divination, he had taken Gellert’s visions seriously, never judging, only attempting to offer reassurance. He knew that he could not hope to truly understand how it felt, and so he did not waste time trying. Instead, he had simply listened to Gellert, holding him through the aftershocks and nightmares that often followed, promising him that, whatever happened, they would face it together.

It had terrified Gellert at the beginning. He had not expected such a reaction, nor had he know how he should respond to it. In the past, his visions, not to mention his mismatched eyes, had been treated with either curiosity, fear or outright hostility, none of which had left him with any desire to confide in anyone when it happened again and again. But that, at least, had not come as a surprise to him. He knew well that people feared what they did not understand, and wizards were no exception to this. Albus’ comfort and fearlessness in the face of such events, however, had left him both astounded and also calmer. It was an experience he was not used to, and his first instinct had been to try to run away from it, convinced that it could not be real.

Except that it was real. It was entirely real. Albus had never once flinched away from him, nor had he raised his voice, or his wand, in anger or as a threat. Instead, he had made every effort to prove to Gellert that this ability of his changed nothing. That he was still the brave, fierce and intelligent boy who Albus was proud to know, proud to call a friend, an equal, and - though they could not say so publicly - a partner in every way. 

Ironically, however, it had taken a day when Albus himself had reached a low point of tiredness and deep distress over his own situation for Gellert to truly believe that. Watching Albus sink down onto a chair, silent tears of exhaustion sliding from his eyes should have made Gellert’s heart hurt, and indeed it had. But at the same time, he had then known that Albus was no longer afraid to show his own pain and fear, and that Gellert also had no reason to be afraid that he would be chastised or considered weak for doing the same. It had not been a realisation that had come easily to him, but he could not deny that it was a relief to know that there was someone who he could turn to when his own feelings overwhelmed him.

The one other thing that did sadden him was that, besides himself and his aunt, Albus did not have anyone who could support him. His brother and sister were present in his life, it was true, but it was only too clear that Albus would have been a fool to expect them to even try to understand how he felt.

The thought of the younger Dumbledore siblings made Gellert grimace a little, his mood darkening further. He knew he could not truly blame little Ariana. She was a kind and gentle soul and the trauma she had faced for so long, and that still continued to haunt her daily, was something that even Gellert knew no one deserved, not even his worst enemy. Knowing that it was not her fault and seeing how much she was suffering ensured that he did not resent her, even though he knew that she was a large part of the reason why Albus felt so unhappy.

On the other hand, Gellert knew only too well that he could not say the same about Aberforth. Albus had never hidden the fact that he and his brother had never been close, even as children, with Aberforth far preferring Ariana’s company, but Gellert had quickly realised that this was a huge understatement. Still, that in itself was not reason enough for him to dislike the goat-loving boy. He knew well enough that siblings did not always have a strong bond with each other, especially when they were as different as the two brothers. If he were trying to be objective - which he freely admitted he was not - then he might have to grudgingly concede that Albus’ comments about his brother’s lack of intelligence might not be making the situation any better. At the same time, he was sure that, next to Albus, anyone would appear simple. Anyone, that was, apart from Gellert himself and possibly his aunt as well.

Of course, Gellert was very well aware that his sentiments were not at all one-sided, though he had never given it much thought, other than to acknowledge that the mutual dislike was probably the only thing the two of them would ever have in common. But he still found it bewildering how obvious Aberforth could be about it, especially when he spoke to Albus. He knew it was a ludicrous thing to complain about, since that reaction had surely played a part in bringing Albus closer to him. Still, he had to admit that the sheer illogicality of it was beyond his comprehension. Surely,Aberforth was at least intelligent enough to realise that all his open hostility was achieving was to push Albus away from him, from the family Aberforth was accusing him of neglecting? 

“I suppose he views any moment Albus isn’t hovering around them as him neglecting his responsibilities,” he muttered, his tone coldly bitter to his own ears. He knew Ariana needed the help, of course he did, but he marvelled at how no one else seemed able, or willing, to understand just how overwhelmed, not to mention afraid, Albus was becoming. Of course, he knew that his lover had always been a master at concealing his feelings, but that only made it seem worse. It was so unfair that Albus had been forced to hide so much, that he had gone so long with no one to confide in. But the worst of it was that it seemed as though his only purpose, regardless of his own happiness and wellbeing, was to keep his shattered family together and restore the damage done to his family name.

He stood up and paced heavily around the room, breathing hard as he tried to let go of the anger that had been rising in him. Lashing out and losing control might soothe his feelings, but he knew it wouldn’t help Albus. It wouldn’t make the situation any easier, however much he might want it to. But he had not felt this powerless in a long time. All he wanted to do was make things better, not for wizardkind as a whole, not at this moment, but for one wizard in particular. But he could not do anything. He had barely been able to see Albus over the course of the last few days, only a few snatched seconds here and there, and his letters had only been met with short and hastily scrawled missives in reply, probably written in a rare moment he might have to himself before the next catastrophe. Many times, Gellert had wanted to go over himself and just demand to see Albus, or even to just take him out for a few hours, and Merlin help anyone who dared try to stop him. But he knew only too well that such an intervention would only have led to more conflict and inflamed an already precarious situation. While he was not the one to start a fight, Gellert was usually also not the sort to shy away from one either. Still, the last thing he had wanted was to cause Albus any more unnecessary stress, and so he had stayed away and contented himself with writing letters to him every day, hoping they might cheer him up. At the same time, Bathilda had done her best to keep him busy, setting him up with various tasks around the house and even letting him have free reign over her library. It had, at least, helped him stay occupied, but he still could not stop himself turning to ask Albus something, or to excitedly point out an interesting fact, only to be faced with an empty chair.

Something suddenly flickered outside, just out of the corner of his eye. He turned back towards the window , noticing to his relief that the overly amorous couple, and their crowd of admirers, had finally moved on. But then he looked up and saw a lone figure slipping out of the back door of the Dumbledore house. Even with his hunched shoulders making him look small and afraid, Gellert had no trouble recognising him.

He watched as Albus trudged down the road, his soft curls rippling across his face, though he made no attempt to brush them away. In fact, he appeared to be hardly aware of anything besides putting one foot in front of the other. He did not even flinch when someone bumped into him, nor did he respond to what looked like a half-hearted grunt of an apology. 

That surprised Gellert. Of course, he was no witless ruffian, but out of the two of them, he knew perfectly well that Albus was the polite one who often went out of his way to be courteous, at least in public. For him to so blatantly ignore someone made Gellert realise that something was much more wrong that he had first thought.

He grabbed his coat, scribbled a messy note to Bathilda in case she came looking for him, and crept out of the house. The warm summer breeze whipped through his hair, but he ignored it, barely even pausing to acknowledge how drying it felt after two days of almost solid rain. It turned out that the British weather was just as changeable as Bathilda had told him when he had first arrived.

Soon afterwards, he left the clusters of houses behind him for the more open and rural countryside. Despite his urgency, he found that he had to pause and take it all in, if only for a few seconds. After days of being trapped in the house, it felt liberating to finally be outside again, to hear the birds singing in the trees and feel the grass brushing against his ankles. It was beautiful, almost sweeping him away, wishing for him to forget his own troubles and lose himself in a world he could design himself.

He shook his head and inwardly cursed himself. There would hopefully be plenty of time for him and Albus bask in the natural beauty of the world later on. Right now, he had something more important to be worrying about.

It did not take him any time to find his lover. He only had to edge along the grassy bank lined with trees, towards the flowing stream. A lone figure was sat huddled on a patch of muddy grass underneath a magnolia tree that was bursting with flowers. He appeared, to anyone who might not know him, to have come out to read peacefully in such a beautiful place, but Gellert had only to look once at him to disprove this notion.

“You know, people are much more likely to believe you’re busy when you don’t hold your book upside down,” he remarked.

Albus started and turned. “I suppose so,” he said with a laugh that was far too brittle. “I’ll keep that in mind for the future,” he added, closing the book and holding it close to his chest.

Gellert briefly noted that it was the tattered old copy of Plato’s _Symposium_ that he had sent over by owl post the previous night. He had hoped it might capture Albus’ attention and cheer him up for a little while. But looking at him now, it was clear that any sort of debate on the philosophy of love was the last thing on his mind. Actually, he was not sure that he had ever seen Albus look worse than he did now. His ragged hair stood out almost like blood against his ghostly pale face, and the circles around his eyes were so dark that Gellert momentarily wondered if an argument had ended up turning physical. Admittedly, he was not entirely sure that seeing Albus in this state was a lot better, but he at least managed to lean against the magnolia tree while he calmed down enough not to go and give Albus’ siblings - or one of them in particular - a piece of his mind. Instead, when he realised his partner was shivering in spite of the heat, he slipped back down the bank and shrugged off his jacket, slipping it around Albus’ shoulders. He didn’t say a word as he sat down, choosing instead to sit close to him and gently ease the book out of his tense grip. He placed it on the floor and idly played with the ends of Albus’ hair, hoping to relax him a little.

Albus startled at the contact, stiffening up as though he did not quite know what to expect. He seemed to struggle with himself for several minutes, caught between pulling away or accepting the comfort. But Gellert did not move and, eventually, he felt Albus’ entire body slump over and his head dropped onto Gellert’s shoulder as he let out a desperate sound, something halfway between an exhausted sigh and a whimper aching with despair.

“Oh, Albus,” whispered Gellert, rubbing his fingers soothingly down the other boy’s neck. “Has it...are things really that bad?”

It was a while before Albus spoke, during which he curled in on himself, his arms wrapped tightly around his knees. He closed his eyes and dropped his head, even as he sank against Gellert, who was now stroking his arm softly and reaching for his hand. As they tangled their fingers together, the words finally came, quietly and yet somehow screaming in anguish.

“I don’t know what to do.”

“Then don’t do anything,” said Gellert, stroking his thumb over the still unhealed scar on Albus’ palm. He cast a quick charm around them so that anyone who might walk by would not see them, and brought Albus’ hand gently to his lips. “It’s all right now, you can rest here. I won’t let go.”

Albus shook his head. “It’s not all right, Gellert,” he whispered. “I don’t think it’s ever been all right, but now it’s just getting worse every day.” He stared at their clasped hands. “Every time I’ve suggested something, or offered to do something, it keeps ending with Aberforth and me arguing. I can’t remember the last time we even had a civil conversation, much less a friendly one. And then Ari picks up on it and gets upset and we have to calm her down before...” but he shook his head and closed his eyes.

“You can’t keep going on like this,” said Gellert. “You know you can’t. It isn’t doing you, or Ariana, any good. I knew things were difficult, but I never thought it could be this bad.” He sighed. “I’m sorry, liebling. I got so caught up in trying to read every single book my aunt owns, but that’s no excuse. I should have come over and helped out.”

“Aberforth would never have let you -”

“I don’t care what he thinks. He can hate me and glare at me all he likes, it makes no difference. What I _do_ care about is your state of mind. I care that you look as if you’ve hardly eaten or slept in days. I care that you’re not being treated the way you should be. I care that, even when the village clock has long since struck midnight, there’s still a light on in your bedroom because you’re too distressed to sleep.” He brushed a loose curl behind Albus’ ear. “Your brother’s priority is Ariana, and that’s his decision to make. But _my_ priority is you.”

Albus picked up a fallen blossom and twirled it in between his fingers, still refusing to look up. “I’m so tired, Gellert. I’m tired of being expected to have all the answers without even knowing what the questions are. I’m tired of having to keep everything quiet in case I say the wrong thing and it starts another fight. I’m tired of having my every move being watched. I’m tired of lying awake at night worrying who she might hurt next.” He shifted his head slightly and stared out across the water. “But most of all, I’m tired of having my family right beside me, but always feeling so alone.”

“You aren’t alone,” insisted Gellert, reaching out and pulling Albus closer, feeling him shaking against his side. “You don’t have to do this by yourself any more. It was madness for anyone to have expected you to take on all this in the first place, oldest sibling or not.” His fingers stroked through Albus’ hair as he felt a light dampness hit the collar of his shirt. “I know it isn’t easy, but that’s what we’ve got each other for, isn’t it? To make things better. Together.”

“But it’s not us, is it?” Albus’ head lifted slightly, tears still clinging onto his eyelashes and dusting over his pale cheek. “It’s all this. It’s everything around us.”

“Yes, it is.” Gellert nodded. “But it will not always be like this. We’re going to change it. For you and me. For Ariana. For everyone who has ever felt alone or lost or rejected. We’re going to build a better world. One where we won’t have to be afraid to be seen, where no one will have to hide who they are. Make it what it should be - what we’ve always dreamed it to be.”

He rested his cheek on top of Albus’ head and closed his eyes, forcing back the sting of his own tears as he listened to the other boy’s choked gasps and ragged sobs. He had always been quietly amazed by Albus’ sheer strength of mind, his resilience to keep going even when everything seemed so set against him. But at the same time, he had known that this moment would come. After all, he knew that everyone had a breaking point and it was inevitable that Albus would eventually end up reaching his own, no matter how hard he tried to put it off.

After a moment, Albus shifted a little and lifted his arm to wrap it around Gellert’s shoulders, embracing him carefully, almost protectively. The simple gesture made Gellert’s breath catch in his throat and this time he could not stop a lone tear from slipping down his cheek. Even now when he was at his lowest point, even as the weight of the world was bearing down upon him, Albus still managed to find it within himself to reach out and make him feel safe. He blinked hard and dragged his hand over his cheeks, wiping away the tears. Now was not the time for him to break down. He had to take care of Albus, had to think of some way to help him, to make things right for him.

And then, just as if he had been struck by lightning, it came to him. He almost laughed out loud at himself for not seeing it sooner when it had been right there in front of him the entire time.

“It doesn’t need to be like this,” he said, quietly enough that he might have been talking to himself. Still, the faint shuffling was enough to tell him that Albus was listening. “You shouldn’t have to keep hurting like this.” He reached out and caressed Albus’ tear-stained cheek. “Come away with me,” he whispered, his lips brushing over the shell of Albus’ ear. “We could leave tonight and be in Paris before midnight, watching the stars light up the sky from the roof of the Notre Dame.”

Albus stiffened in his arms and lifted his head. “Tonight?” He sniffled and wiped his eyes on his sleeve, looking confused and worried. “That’s...Gellert, it’s so soon - isn’t it too soon? Are we even ready for that?”

“I know it sounds mad,” said Gellert, running his fingers through Albus’ hair to calm him. “It might well turn out to be. But I don’t care. Surely it has to be better for you than being trapped here, tied to a family that has caused you nothing but misery. You never wanted to be here in the first place Albus, and we both know -”

“They don’t want me here either.” Albus’ voice cracked. “I know that, Gellert. Believe me, I know that.”

Gellert winced. “I was going to say that we both know you were meant to do more than this.” He seethed inwardly that Albus’ own siblings could make him feel so unappreciated and unwanted, after all he had sacrificed for them. “You are brilliant, Albus,” he insisted. “I do not say that lightly, as you know. But you are incredibly special.”

Albus looked down. “It doesn’t matter whether I am or not,” he murmured. “After what happened, what I did...I let them down, Gellert. I let Ariana get hurt! I owe them -”

“You do not owe them anything!” Gellert told him, quietly but fiercely. “Listen to me, Albus! What happened to Ariana was nothing short of reprehensible, I do not deny it. You’re right when you say that it should never have happened. But that does not make it your fault. You might be responsible for your own actions, yes, but you are not responsible for the actions of others, and certainly not the actions of the animals who attacked your sister. They had a choice, Albus, and they chose to inflict grave harm on an innocent young girl who was doing nothing wrong.” He swallowed hard, fighting back a burning lump of fury in the back of his throat. “They, and they alone, are the ones at fault for their actions. They are the ones who owe your family. Not you. Them.”

Albus’ watery eyes stared at him, confusion and hope fighting within the blue depths. “I...I just,” he stopped, blinked a few times and shook his head. “You really want me with you?” he whispered, as though he could hardly believe it. “You really want to share your dreams with...with me?”

“These are not just my dreams, Albus,” said Gellert. “Not any more. They’re our dreams. Yours and mine. Whether or not I could do it by myself doesn’t matter any more. The fact is, I don’t want to do it without you by my side.”

Another harsh gasp ripped its way from Albus’ throat and he shuddered. “Merlin, Gellert, this is...it’s...” but the words got lost in breathless sobs. 

“I know.” Gellert cradled Albus’ face in his hands, his thumbs wiping away the tears. “I know it’s a lot to take in on top of everything else. But I mean it, I don’t want to do this without you. And if that means waiting a little while, then...” he took a deep breath, “then that’s what I’ll do.” He brushed a light kiss over Albus’ lips and helped him to his feet, gathering him into his arms, steadying him as he swayed a little.

“I’m not sure, Gellert,” said Albus quietly. “I can’t just make a decision like that, I need to...” he shivered again, screwing his eyes shut. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I don’t want to let you down, it’s just -”

“Shhh.” Gellert tightened his embrace. “You haven’t let me down, Albus. I know it’s not an easy choice. Just take whatever time you need, all right? You know where I’ll be.” He stroked slow circles over Albus’ back and kissed the top of his head. “Come on, I’ll take you home.”

~*~

Bathilda watched from the doorway with her arms folded and a curious look on her face. “You know that all I want is for you and Albus to have a chance at being happy,” she said. “But are you sure that leaving is the only way to do that? What if, in the end, leaving here is not what Albus wants?”

“Tante Hilda, you know I appreciate what you have done for me,” said Gellert. “Not many people would have taken me in, not after what I did. But I could never have stayed here for ever. Godric’s Hollow is not a place lacking in intrigue, but...it is too small for me.”

“I’m sure it has some advantages,” teased his aunt, but her smile did not linger for long. “But you haven’t answered my question. What if Albus isn’t ready to leave with you yet? Would you go away without him?”

“A few weeks ago, yes, that would almost certainly have been my plan,” said Gellert with a wry smile. “You know how little patience I have, Tante. But,” he looked out of the window towards Albus’ house, his face warming a little, “things have certainly changed. I will not leave without Albus. Not if he wants to come with me. I cannot stand by and watch him tear himself apart trying to help people who give him nothing in return.”

“Gellert,” said Bathilda disapprovingly, “you, out of everyone, should know that is hardly fair. Poor little Ariana did not choose for things to be this way, did she?”

“I know she didn’t. Do not mistake me, Tante Hilda, I do feel sorry for her. I even feel sorry for her boorish brute of a brother. But that changes nothing. What happened was not in any way their fault, but neither was it Albus’. And, while it gives me no pleasure to say it, you know as well as I do that they are almost entirely the reason for why Albus is in such pain.” He swallowed and turned to his aunt with a sad smile. “You once said it yourself; he tears himself in half day by day. But he should never have had to do that. I want to give him the chance to experience the life he should have had, the life that he deserves.”

“I see.” The historian nodded. “That is...more than decent of you indeed, Gellert. It is true that Albus deserves a chance to shine. Morgana knows that his is a star that we would be privileged to be able to see shine.”

“That is true, yes,” said Gellert. “But my reasons are not entirely selfless either.” He thought about what he had felt earlier by the stream when Albus had held him. “He gives me a peace I didn’t know I was missing. Even when it falls to me to reassure him, somehow, I think almost without him knowing it, he does the same for me. When we are together, no matter what has been happening, being with him quiets the echoes in my head. They never fully disappear, but it is more like drops of spring rain than shards of ice.” He shivered, suddenly remembering the long howling blizzards and wild glaciers that had surrounded him during the winters at Durmstrang. While he was no stranger to cold weather, the atmosphere around the school had often made him cringe, being so similar to what roared constantly through his head.

His aunt frowned, concerned. “It troubles you that much? Even when you don’t See?”

“It is painful, but it is mostly bearable,” said Gellert quickly, wondering if he had revealed too much. ”Don’t say a word to Albus, he will only worry needlessly.”

Bathilda nodded. “I will say nothing.” She crossed the room and laid a hand on his shoulder. “He really does love you, Gellert, you know that.”

“I know he does.” Gellert gave her a slightly crooked smile and turned his wand over in his hands, glancing back across at the house as he admitted something he had only ever said to one other person.

“I love him too.”

“I know.” Bathilda continued to watch him with a wry smile of her own. “You have many plans, Gellert. You know what it is you want. Oh, don’t look so surprised,” she added as Gellert’s eyes widened, “we both know you want to go out and make a difference and we both know how utterly stubborn you are once you get an idea into your head. Or, should I say, how stubborn you ordinarily are?”

Gellert frowned at his aunt. “What are you trying to say?”

She laughed. “Only that I don’t think I’ve ever heard of you being able to compromise on anything before. Not even with me. And yet, with Albus, you listen to him. You hear what he’s saying, even if you’re not sure you agree with him. He isn’t afraid to tell you what he thinks, because he knows you’ll listen to him, whether you like it or not.” She patted him on the shoulder. “There are few people in the world you have been prepared to seriously listen to, Gellert. But I would guess that there is only one who you are prepared, I might even almost say happy, to even consider adjusting your ideas for. Honestly, even when I introduced the two of you, I did not think that would happen.”

“Neither did I,” admitted Gellert. “But it did.” He reached for the silver pendant at his neck and smiled a little. “Do you think he will come with me?”

For answer, his aunt gave him a crinkled smile and gestured back towards the window. Gellert followed her silent gaze and froze in place as Albus’ front door flew open, sending candlelight flooding across the front garden. His heart skipped a beat as he saw his partner exit the house, a bag slung over his shoulders and his steps resolute and purposeful. But Gellert could also see him shaking his head and making small gestures with his arms, as though he was arguing with someone, though he never turned back to look at them. In fact, it was only when he had closed and bolted the front gate behind him that Albus finally turned back again, presumably for one last look at the place he called home.

Gellert let out a strangled gasp of dismay as the front door was slammed shut and the house lights fully extinguished. He did not need to feel his aunt’s trembling hand on his shoulder to understand what that had meant. Equally, he could tell that Albus knew too, because, while he turned away bravely, it was not long before he stumbled against one of the large trees lining the pathway, his body crumpling as though he had sustained a mortal wound.

Immediately, Gellert knew what he had to do. Barely even bothering to respond to Bathilda’s sad smile and nod, he bolted from the room and rushed downstairs and through the front door. He knew that he probably should be careful, that anyone could be watching, but this time he didn’t care. The world and all its judgement and narrow-mindedness could rot in the deepest circles of Hell. The only thing that mattered to Gellert at this moment in time was reaching the beautiful, heartbroken boy and holding him in his arms, making sure he knew he was not alone.

Albus started at the fierceness of the embrace, but slowly his own arms found their way around Gellert’s waist as he let out a watery chuckle. “Well, that was a more enthusiastic greeting than I was expecting,” he tried to joke, but he clearly knew that it had fallen entirely flat. Instead, he settled for a light squeeze of Gellert’s arm. “I’m ready,” he said. “You were right. These are our dreams. We conceived them together and together we can make them a reality.”

It was everything Gellert wanted to hear, and the commitment and resolve in Albus’ eyes was everything he wanted to believe. But he still had to ask. “Albus, are you sure about this? I mean, really sure?”

“Why?” Albus raised a sardonic eyebrow, but it did not mask the hint of panic in his voice. “Are you changing your mind?”

“No, of course not. It’s just,” Gellert sighed, “you know what’s at stake here, don’t you? You know what you could lose by doing this. I want you to do this because it’s what you want, not because you’re upset and not out of some rash need to make a point or something. This is too big for that. And I meant what I said. I will wait.”

“I know,” Albus assured him. “Believe me, I know all that. And I won’t be losing them, because you can’t lose something when you never really had it to begin with. There was only one thing I stood to lose here and it was the one thing I was never willing to risk.”

The words carried no artifice, no hesitation, no doubt at all. Still, Gellert knew he had to be certain. “You...you would really choose me over your own family?”

The light in Albus’ eyes dimmed a little, but he did not waver. “Yes,” he said, giving him a sad smile. “Because _you_ were never the one who told me I had to.”


End file.
